MSPs back proposals for heroin ‘shooting gallery’

PROPOSALS for a heroin ‘shooting gallery’ in Scotland yesterday won the backing of MSPs despite being blocked by the Prime Minister and Lord Advocate.

Plans for a facility where addicts could inject themselves with their own drugs were blocked by Lord Advocate James Wolffe, QC, and Theresa May then rejected calls to devolve powers to the Scottish parliament to allow a clinic to be set up.

Despite this, MSPs yesterday backed an SNP motion in support of the clinic and Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell will make a fresh plea to the UK Government demanding it back the proposed Glasgow base.

In 2016 there were 867 drugs deaths in Scotland – 160 of them in Glasgow, and a 23 per cent rise on the previous year. But Mrs Campbell argued that ‘bold ideas could be what makes the difference’.

The Scottish Conservatives voted against the motion, saying such a facility would amount to ‘waving the white flag’ on the drugs crisis.

Glasgow Tory MSP Annie Wells said: ‘Growing up and still living in one of the most deprived areas of Glasgow, I know only too well what drug addiction can do.

‘Many years ago I lost a close friend to a drugs overdose, a young woman with a child, whom I had grown up with. That is why I am so passionate we work first and foremost in getting people off drugs.’

Mrs Campbell said: ‘Unfortunately at this time we are as a nation curtailed as to what we can do in response to the problems we face from substance use.

‘However, the situation in Glasgow is serious enough to warrant considering alternative approaches, and pushing for a change in the legislation to let this happen.’

Glasgow City Council has backed the centre in a bid to help combat the rise in HIV infections in the area. The idea also has the support of Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Greens.